Natasha Richardson buried in private ceremony in New York

Natasha Richardson was laid to rest at a private funeral service yesterday in upstate New York, where friends and family gathered to say a final farewell to the Tony award-winning actor.

Liam Neeson, her husband, dressed in a dark suit and sunglasses, was at the head of Richardson's coffin as he and five other pallbearers carried it into the church. The coffin was adorned with an Irish claddagh symbol, signifying love, friendship and loyalty.

The ceremony took place at St Peter's Episcopal church, near the secluded home in Millbrook where the two married in 1994.

Richardson died in a hospital in New York last Wednesday after suffering a head injury during a skiing accident in Quebec, Canada. The 45-year-old fell during a lesson at the luxury resort of Mont Tremblant. A medical examiner in New York later confirmed that her death was due to a blunt impact to the head.

Richardson's mother, Vanessa Redgrave, joined Neeson and the couple's sons, Micheál, 13, and Daniel, 12, for the funeral service at the tiny, white clapboard church, about 80 miles north of New York City. The family paused for press photographs in front of the church before going in for the service. The actor's sister, Joely Richardson, and friends Ralph Fiennes, Alan Rickman, Uma Thurman, Timothy Dalton and Laura Linney were among the mourners.

After a graveside service under a large green tent, Richardson was buried in a nearby cemetery, close to the grave of her maternal grandmother, the actor Rachel Kempson, who died while visiting her granddaughter and Neeson in 2003.

The family paid their respects at Kempson's grave after the burial.

Richardson's body was moved to her Hudson Valley farmhouse on Saturday morning following a private wake at Manhattan's American Irish Historical Society, where Neeson paid tribute to his wife alongside a sombre group of family and friends.

Residents in the area also expressed their sadness at Richardson's tragic death. The couple were well known in the Millbrook area, where many celebrities reside part-time. Steve Lyall, a local resident, said: "She was a lovely lady. We'll miss her in the community."

Instead of flowers, Richardson's family have asked for donations to be made to amfAR, the foundation for Aids research - the charity for which Richardson had served on its board of trustees since 2006. Her father, Tony Richardson, died of complications from the disease in 1991.